[Chapter 59: Betting on Tomorrow]
Strange things always happened in the world.
Harvey and Charlie, at first, each wanted to take down the other, but later, they pulled each other off a cliff together.
The hatred between them kept building, and you'd think normal people would've wanted to eliminate each other outright by now. But now these two acted like close brothers, recognizing each other's worth. It was completely ironic.
Anyway, Jill Messick and Etto Romano, and their respective teams, watched the two of them with strange looks -- as if looking at a couple of psychopaths.
Only psychopaths would react like this after all that had happened, right?
Harvey spoke more sincerely, and Charlie's expression was very serious -- really like good friends.
Charlie nodded thoughtfully. "That's right, buddy. I've thought about all this. Maybe I held a tiny hope at first, thinking companies like Fox wouldn't be so ruthless. But it turned out to be just a fantasy. They only saw me as cannon fodder, using me and you to blow up a stronghold of Disney."
Harvey nodded in agreement. "Compared to competition among the big studios, neither of us was even on their radar. Not just Fox -- from what I understand, Universal, Columbia, even agencies like CAA and William Morris helped out."
He leaned in a little and lowered his voice, "It's about actor and crew contracts."
Charlie pondered for a moment but didn't ask for details. "Maybe it's an unspoken understanding among these big studios -- once they saw an opportunity, they all jumped in. I guess there's probably some inside action at Disney too. Eisner has become a tyrant over the years; a lot of people were unhappy with him."
"Right, kicking me out was another way to attack Eisner," Harvey shamelessly said. "Although I was originally signed by Jeffrey, you know, Jeffrey got ousted the same year in '94 after Wells' plane crash. Big studio politics are way too tangled -- we're just pawns."
Charlie nodded in agreement.
As they chatted, even bringing up Disney executive gossip, Etto and the others grew more uncomfortable.
Mord, with a sour face all twisted in disbelief, quietly nudged Etto, "Hey man, why is the boss chatting with that fat pig? Have those two really become buddies?"
Bob's ears perked up, and he shot a sharp glare. His boss wasn't afraid of that "fat pig," so, Mord got cocky and threw back a fierce look.
Etto pulled him back, frowning, "I don't really know. Charlie's changed a lot -- he really seems like a godfather now. Maybe they both want to mend fences."
Harvey and Charlie ignored their underlings' whispered talks.
The two chatted for a while. When Harvey expressed concern again, Charlie chuckled, "Actually, I'm prepared for the future."
Harvey was surprised, "What is it? Man, you're unbelievable -- you think of everything. You're like a top general with a wide strategic vision."
"Haha, just a bit of cunning. You know, guys like us have to tread carefully," Charlie said proudly, puffing up his chest.
"Actually, it's nothing much. I signed for five picture deals with CAA and Fox, and they each have different shares. But there's no specific movie or time limit. If a project hits big, they'll all want a slice, right?
If I remember correctly, Michael Ovitz still holds some CAA shares, and he's been feuding with Eisner. If he gets a chance, do you think he won't fight Eisner hard? As for Fox, since Independence Day, NewsCorp has been hot in America for years."
A blockbuster movie means huge potential profits and assets for those big companies, nothing compared to what Corleone Entertainment could muster.
Just the buzz of a hit movie lets Fox and others use many financial tricks to profit, beyond just stock price surges. They can leverage the fame and success to negotiate big investments with global financiers.
That's when these big companies fiercely compete. Charlie himself could maneuver skillfully to earn substantial rewards -- not just in money but also in connections, like rapidly expanding distribution channels.
Harvey, a veteran in these matters, understood how placing successful projects with various hands could maximize outcomes.
He was astounded, smiling with joy, lightly punching Charlie's arm, "Man, you really got game! You've got them signed under contracts like that? You hold all the cards now. I gotta say, your tactics are impressive -- better yet, your fighting spirit and confidence are inspiring. You fired me up. If that's the case, you just gave me a great gift. You made me part owner of some non-film rights."
"Yeah, because we're good friends," Charlie said, grinning without shame. "But sadly, like the film rights, you'll only share profits and operating rights. The copyrights still belong to me, same as the film rights you hold."
Harvey hurried to say, "Oh, come on, buddy. Give me some operating rights too. Once I leave Disney, I can quickly rebuild my throne of power. We help each other out, right?"
Their weird camaraderie made Mord and Bob, who were locked in a staring contest, roll their eyes simultaneously.
"God, is the boss really okay?"
Listening to these two talk made it sound like Lord of the Rings was already a massive hit.
Charlie shook his head with a smile, "Sorry, no way! Sharing project profits with you is enough for you to quickly rebuild a film company. By the way, don't forget to stand with me against those big companies fighting for the spoils."
Harvey shrugged in resignation. "That's a bummer." Then widened his eyes, "Don't tell me you had this all planned already, trying to rope me in? So all that effort I put in to grab more rights was actually what you intended to give me all along?"
Charlie laughed without answering.
Harvey snorted. "You're the type who loves to flaunt a win -- such a twisted sense of humor. But I gotta say, being your friend is fun. Alright, I'll use my resources to grab more rights as soon as possible. Hopefully, the Lord of the Rings project will be as successful as you paint it."
It must succeed!
And it must be just as successful as in the previous world.
Otherwise, all this -- including this so-called "good friendship" -- would fall apart in an instant.
People come together for profit, and scatter for profit.
Charlie's heart was full of boiling passion, eager to strike while the iron was hot. Three months ago, he made a bold statement to Etto: "Hollywood's just a pile of crap, no cleaner than a call girl. And I'm a shameless bastard, born for this."
He was steadily living up to that audacious pledge.
With Harvey settled, Corleone Entertainment could better use his connections to keep growing.
Plans for Lord of the Rings could move forward -- not just with rights but financing issues too. Relying on Corleone Entertainment alone, getting the funding would be a huge hurdle.
Without it, filming wouldn't even start, and they'd lose everything before the movie even hit theaters.
Now, the two could truly unite to cooperate for the moment.
Charlie went on with their plan, "Harvey, once we deal with United Artists, I have a pitch to persuade Saul Zaentz."
*****
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